Hatch Gives a Billiards Exposition
Seminole Florida Pro Tour / Miami, FL
by Rick Davis
The Seminole Florida Pro Tour sizzled May 5-6 when it pulled in for its latest tour stop at New Wave Billiards in Miami, FL, for the season’s third event. Chopping his way through the field, Dennis “The Hatchet Man” Hatch decimated the field to come back from a late loss to claim the top finish.
As the top 16 returned for play on Sunday Hatch bested tour regular Neil Fujiwara 8-3 then pounded “The Prince of Pool” Corey Deuel 8-1 to reach the hot seat match. On his way there as well was another tour regular, Donnie Mills, who defeated Marlon Manalo and Steve Moore, 8-7 and 8-3, respectively to face Hatch. In the hot seat Mills was able to turn the tables on Hatch’s streak and sent him west just shy of double-hill, defeating him 8-6.
On the one-loss side rounds flashed by as quickly as the players’ life spans in the event. Manalo caught a gear after his early loss and eliminated tour regulars Dave Grossman and Tony “The Sniper” Crosby, both 8-3, then sent Deuel home as well after an 8-1 shellacking. This put Manalo in the quarterfinals, although for a while it was unclear who would meet him there as favorites changed after each round on the rest of the one-loss side chart. James Roberts eliminated Fujiwara 8-3, but then Tony “T-Rex” Chohan knocked out Roberts by the same margin. Chohan was ousted the next round by Moore, who went on to face Manalo. The quarterfinals became a grinder until Manalo finally squeaked through 8-7.
In the semifinals Hatch began to display his clinic on shooting skills to all those watching as he destroyed Manalo 8-1, including a five-rack string of break and runs. Back in the finals against Mills, the single race to 9 offered even ground, though Hatch opened another five-pack on Mills, and before Mills knew what hit him, the match was over with Hatch coming through 9-4 to claim the latest stop of the Seminole Florida Pro Tour.
Results:
1st Dennis Hatch $2700
2nd Donnie Mills $1800
3rd Marlon Manalo $1400
4th Steve Moore $1000
5th Corey Deuel $850
Tony Chohan
7th Tony Crosby $600
James Roberts
9th Dave Grossman $400
Danny Harriman
Neil Fujiwara
Richard Broumpton